Chapter Text
all thanks to kali prasad—the girl who has no more will to live after her friends died because of her.
el doesn't even know if she should be thankful for kali. this touch of freedom should've been felt with her sister—not alone.
after kali's short play, her last time using her powers for good and el's sake, the girl managed to escape. her feet kept running through the road, away from the library—away from everyone.
where to now? the cabin? the wheelers? she does not know.
none of this was part of the plan. they were supposed to help her hide and run away. but now they don't even have any idea that she's alive and running. her feet gives up a little while—few steps from the cabin. her mind is spinning all over.
what is happening to the others right at this moment?
could they be dead long ago after dr.kay's ultimate goal 'died' in front of her? what about mike? him screaming her name still etched in her mind even if she was far away. they all could be gone by now and all of this would've useless.
she enters the cabin; lights off as they left it. this is home. this was home. her room and her memories will be left behind just like how they should be. she glances at her desk, a life of a teenager waiting for her. a photo of her and mike in a frame—forever frozen in time—will be forgotten someday.
but she won't forget.
hopper's jacket lays low on the end of her bed. her shaking fingers pick it up and draws it near to her heart—a sob escapes her lips as she looks around.
nothing will be back to normal. nothing can ever be normal if she's around.
soon enough she pushed back, rummaging through her closet for a thick jacket. el felt compelled on what to do. she wants to go back to the same spot she left them and see where they had gone—but it's always dangerous.
el hopper is a brave girl. but all that thick skin and mean stare shrivels away in the thought of the other's in danger because of her.
she leaves the cabin, looking back one last time. her feet drags her to the direction of the lake. walking down the roads that refused to accept her all this time. every car made her cautious—if one had resembled a military vehicle.
for quite a while, she manages to walk up to the water. the night has drawn in long time ago—the moon shining and taunting her. it illuminates the scene perfectly; a beautiful glow that humiliates her.
el looks at her reflection. a red nose. cuts on her face. that stupid bun. and bloodshot eyes.
the last time she felt like this was long time ago—but she managed to come home afterwards. this is different of course, el doesn't have a home anymore.
she thinks about the waterfalls. but how will she navigate that way when all she has known was here.
her cries and sobs echoed around—the birds desperate to get away from her.
"you can never go back", she talks to her image in the water. el nods her head in agreement to herself, "never".
for awhile, she was a roamer. walking around the outskirts of hawkins and staying in places that she had never seen before. for the past days—she kept checking on the cabin to see if they have returned yet.
it was until the end of week one when a military car parks outside the cabin, and out hauls hopper, joyce, will, and jonathan. all still in the same clothes, heads dropping to the floor, and no words.
she watched them from a far. she watched jonathan getting pushed out of the car and landing on the dried leaves. she saw will troubling to hold on to joyce. and she saw hopper—all lost and undetermined—taking tiny steps like a zombie.
they all couldn't manage to seek shelter inside. they stayed in the porch for quite some time before joyce eventually leads them inside.
el thought they've seen her though. will turned around but saw nothing—and el was long gone.
max was still in her wheelchair, pushed by vickie while lucas drifts from her and bids goodbye to the kids. dustin, steve, and robin stayed close to one another—not speaking, not talking, all nothing.
and mike, oh mike.
he held tighter to holly. nancy too.
he was motionless and in shock. and all of this was her fault.
mike held holly close because he couldn't have pull tighter on el enough to stay. she feels sorry and distraught. all the trauma, all the pain, all the evidences of her life laid out for them to grieve on—yet she still leaves them with a lot of question.
why did el hopper chose to save everyone when no one could save her?
it was a mystery. always a mystery.
and it's only a matter of time till this mystery uncovers and el will be seen once again.